Trigg County’s Fiscal Court, when it met on the evening of Thursday, April 2, voted unanimously to accept roads in the Linton Community as county roads for maintenance. The room was packed with residents of the Linton community, who had complaints about gates blocking public access roads in their area.

Those residents, at the previous meeting, said that gates were put up that block access to their properties. Several of the residents also said the River Oak hasn’t given them keys to the locks on the gates. The roads in question include part of Fire Tower Road, Donnie Lane and Skinner Road.

Also present was a representative of River Oaks, a landowning company in the area that also does logging. The representative said West Vaco built those roads and maintained them until River Oaks took over, and added that the company filed an action in Trigg County Circuit Court on Thursday, April 2, that stated that.

A Linton resident disagreed, stating that the roads existed, in one way or another, long before West Vaco owned land in that part of the county. “West Vaco didn’t just come in there and make the roads, the roads were there,” she said.

The representative from River Oaks requested that the fiscal court not take any action on the matter until it is resolved in circuit court. However, Trigg County Attorney H.B. Quinn advised that the court should take action, as it was on the agenda.

“It ultimately may wind up in circuit court, and obviously at this point in time is in circuit court,” said Humphries.

At the previous fiscal court meeting, Humphries said West Vaco originally put up the gates, and that the gates that went up were, at the time, going to be temporary, and were also going to build and maintain roads in the area to better transport logs. Humphries added it was his understanding that the gates were put up to keep out trespassers and to stop illegal dumping and littering.

River Oaks started owning land in the area after West Vaco lost control of it, Humphries said.

In other business, Humphries said that construction on two bridges and a box culvert over three roads in Trigg County should start during the first part of June and finish by the end of August.

At a fiscal court meeting in January, Con Span bridges had been approved for Delmont Church Road and Reddick Pond Road, and a concrete box culvert was approved for Old Hopkinsville Road. Using Con-Span bridges, which are prefabricated, means the roads don’t have to be closed for as long, Humphries said at that meeting.

“The bids came in relatively low,” which allowed the county to allot for all three bridges, Humphries said.

Kyler Bridge Company is responsible for all three bridges, as it submitted the lowest combined bid of $162,246.

At the request of Jailer James Hughes, the fiscal court unanimously approved a jail inmate reimbursement program. Trigg County inmates that are incarcerated in the Christian County Jail will now be charged $25 per day, plus a $30 booking fee and whatever medical costs are incurred, in an effort to lighten the jail budget, Hughes said.

Payment in full will be expected within 90 days from inmates, Hughes added.

Sheriff Randy Clark talked about a speed enforcement program for county roads where the speed limit is currently unmarked. According to state law, the speed limit is 55 miles per hour, or 35 miles per hour in business and residential areas, unless otherwise marked, Clark said.

The fiscal court also unanimously approved a standing order to pre-approve reoccurring expenses for utilities as well as payroll in the general fund as well as the road fund, jail fund, solid waste and other funds.

Humphries reiterated his position on bonding of the Trigg County Justice Center, stating that the more than 20 contracts that comprise the overall Justice Center project are all fully bonded.

Humphries also said “it didn’t seem fair” to have to re-bond the project when it is 75 percent – 80 percent complete, but said the county will comply with what the Administrative Office of the Courts has said.

In other business, Humphries declared Friday, April 24, as Arbor Day in Trigg County, and a conservation district report was also given.

It was the second fiscal court meeting without Magistrate Doug Taylor, who accepted a job with the state’s Transportation Cabinet last month. Magistrates Dan Goodwin and Kevin Terrell were also absent.